Groff first began amassing his fan base in 2006, when he originated the lead role of Melchior Gabor in Broadway's Spring Awakening, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk nominations and won a Theatre World Award. He was again nominated for a Tony in 2016 after returning to Broadway to portray King George in Hamilton, and shared in the cast's Grammy win for best musical theater album.

Groff's stage-to-screen crossover took off when he reunited with his Spring Awakening costar Lea Michele on Fox's Glee, where he recurred as Jesse St. James of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. He later received his first series-regular role as star of HBO's Looking, and was part of the all-star ensemble for the cabler's 2014 adaptation of The Normal Heart.